Interactive Toy

ABSTRACT

A display device is operable to be superimposed with at least one region of a doll and to generate an interactive virtual representation thereof. The virtual representation may be an animated simulation of the overlaid region of the doll such that it appears that the display device is a virtual window through which the doll is being viewed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/584,770, entitled INTERACTIVE TOY, filed Jan. 9, 2012; and to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/590,004, entitled INTERACTIVE TOY, filed Jan. 24, 2012, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plush toys are known that may accept personal computing devices, such as iPods, for user operation therein.

Such toys are known where the toy emulates a character having a window through which a user may operate the personal computing device. For example the Woogie and the Gendroid are an alien-like plush dolls that accept iPods.

Such toys are also known where the personal computing device forms a portion of the toy and is interactive with a user. For example HappiTaps is a stuffed bear for use with an iPod which forms an interactive face of bear.

However, none of the prior art plush toys is a complete plush toy on it's own. Each toy has an unsightly plastic window or slot in which the personal computing device is held while in operation. Thus, without the personal computing device, the aesthetic appeal of the toy is greatly diminished.

Furthermore, none of the personal computing devices are operable to be superimposed over a region of the plush toy and to display a high-quality interactive virtual simulation of the covered region. Thus, the prior art fails to teach a “portal” through which a user may interact with a virtual simulation of the toy and thereby be amused.

It is therefore desirable to provide such a toy that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An interactive amusement device is described herein that overcomes the limitations noted above.

A display device is operable to be superimposed with at least one region of a doll and to generate an interactive virtual representation thereof. The virtual representation may be an animated simulation of the overlaid region of the doll such that it appears that the display device is a virtual window through which the doll is being viewed.

The virtual representation may be interactive with a user via a user interface, such as, for example, a touch-screen or audio pickup. The virtual representation may be of a high-quality image rending type according to non-vector based animation that may simulate vector-based animation. The user interaction may cause the virtual representation to respond accordingly with an animated response that may be an audio and/or visual animated response such that it appears that the doll is being interacted with through the virtual window.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention In such drawing(s):

FIG. 1 illustrates the interactive toy according to at least one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the interactive toy according to at least one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-3C and 4A-4C illustrates the toy according to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The below described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it should be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and should not be taken as a limitation on the scope of the present apparatus and its method of use.

Referring to FIG. 1, an interactive toy 100 comprises: a doll 110 having at least one region 112; and a display device 120 operable to be superimposed over the at least one region and display a virtual representation 300 thereof.

In some embodiments, the display device 120 may be a tablet pc, e-reader, cellular phone, pda, or other general purpose display device, such as, for example, an iPad, iPhone, iTouch, Galaxy Tab, Kindle, Nook, Droid, and the like. In some embodiment, the display device 120 may be a specific purpose display device.

In some embodiments, the doll 110 may be an anthropomorphic doll such as an orangutan or other primate or animal-like creature, for example. In some embodiments, the doll may comprise an alien creature, monster, or non-humanoid.

The doll 120 may comprise at least one region 112 such as a facial region, or an upper thoracic region, for example. In some embodiments, the doll 110 may comprise a plurality of regions 112. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the region 112 may comprise a lower portion of the face region and an upper portion of a thoracic region.

As discussed above, the display device 120 may be operable to be superimposed over the at least one region 112 and display the virtual representation 300 thereof. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C and 4A-4C, the display device may be superimposed over a face-thorax region of an orangutan doll and the virtual representation displayed may emulate the face-thorax region blocked by the display. Preferably, the virtual representation gives the illusion that the display device is a portal through which the region of the doll is being viewed. This illusion may be preferably facilitated by the virtual representation being of one or more high quality three-dimensional rendered image such as the type produced for computer graphic (CG) based motion pictures, which when displayed in sequence, give the illusion of motion and life.

In some embodiments, the virtual representation 300 may be interactive with a user via a user interface 122, which may be, for example, a touch screen. In some embodiments, the user may perform a user action on the interface 122 which may cause the virtual representation to perform at least one of: an active response and a passive response.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C and 4A-4C, in some embodiments, the virtual representation 300 may be operable to perform one or more active responses. It some embodiments, the user interaction may comprise at least one of: a touch motion, a drag motion, and a release motion on the user interface 122, each motion or combination thereof causing the virtually represented doll to perform one or more active responses accordingly. For example, the user may touch, drag and release a virtually represented lip of the doll, which may cause one or more active responses, such as, for example, causing the lip to stretch and recoil to its original position on release. Other user motions may cause the virtually represented doll to respond with one or more other active responses including, but not limited to: rebounding of the body part in a cartoon fashion, causing the virtually represented doll to laugh, smile, speak, spit, pucker, blink, wink, giggle, emit bubbles, raise eyebrows, puff cheeks, and the like. Thus, the active response of the virtual representation 300 may provide amusement.

In some embodiments, the virtual representation 300 may be operable to perform one or more passive responses. In some embodiments, a lack of user interaction with the user interface may cause the virtual representation may perform one or more passive responses, such as, for example, the doll may have hair or fur that may waft, giving the illusion that the hair is being blown by wind. Other passive reactions may include displaying the virtual doll as breathing, coughing, laughing, blinking, winking, and the like. Such passive responses may be substantially continuous, or may be on a pre-set or random timer.

In some embodiments, the virtual representation may perform an environmental response. For example, the virtual representation may be of the region of the doll presented as if underwater. The active and passive responses of the virtual representation may thus be according to the environmental response. Continuing with the prior example, the virtual representation of a facial region of the doll may appear to blow bubbles while underwater. Other examples of an environmental response to which the active and passive responses may be according to include the virtual representation of fog, steam, rain, aridity, daylight, or other environmental or atmospheric conditions or the like.

In some embodiments, the display device 120 may comprise a memory 140 for storing software instructions and a processor 142 for executing the software instructions, the software instructions causing the display device 120 to generate the interactive virtual representation 300 thereon.

In some embodiments, the generation of the interactive virtual representation is according to non-vector based animation that simulates vector-based animation. Preferably, the memory may be operable to store one or more virtual images of the at least one region 112 that may be selectively displayed in sequence according to at least one of: the active response, passive response, and environmental response. Thus, on user interaction, or lack thereof, with the virtual representation via the user interface, the processor may be operable to execute software instructions causing the display device to selectively display one or more of the virtual images in a sequence so as to emulate the region.

In operation, the user may superimpose the display device over a region of the doll and the display device may exhibit the virtual representation of the region. The user may then interact with the virtual representation of the region through the user interface of the display device so as to cause the virtual representation to appear to respond in a certain way.

Various software applications may be executed by the processor so as to cause the virtual representation to appear as it is performing various associated actions. For example, the doll, or a portion thereof, may appear to move according to the interaction, or lack thereof. The doll may also appear to breathe on the display causing the display to appear to have condensation built thereon that can then appear to be wiped away in accordance with a further user interaction. The doll may also appear to be speaking or moving under water. The doll may also appear to sing along with or narrate stories to the user.

Referring to FIG. 3A-3C, in some embodiments, the interactive toy 100 comprises: a substantially anthropomorphic doll 110 having at least one support structure 114 for supporting the removable interactive display 120, such as an iPad, for example, capable of executing a software application for causing the interactive display 120 to exhibit an interactive virtual image 300 of a region of the doll 110 associated with the support structure 114.

As shown in FIG. 1, the doll 110 is preferably constructed of soft material, but may be partially or wholly constructed of rigid or semi-rigid material. In at least one embodiment, the support structure(s) are constructed of rigid or semi-rigid materials. Preferably, the doll 110 is capable of remaining upright while supporting the interactive display 120. Additionally, it is preferable that the doll 110 be operable to rest on a viewer's bed or other irregularly shaped surface and remain upright.

The doll 110 may also comprise a wired or wireless charging station for the interactive display.

In operation, the interactive display 120 may be supported by the support structure 114 and may overlap a portion of the doll from the perspective of a viewer. The software application may cause the interactive display 120 to exhibit an image of the hidden portion of the doll. Thus, the interactive display 120 may appear to a viewer to be a ‘window’ through which the viewer may view the doll 110.

The software application may cause the image to be responsive to the actions of the viewer. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, the image may be of a trunk portion of an elephant-like doll, and may be responsive to a touch-and-drag motion so as to cause the elephant's trunk to lift, swing, sneeze or the like. As an additional example shown in FIGS. 3A-3B, the image may be of a mouth portion of an orangutan, and may be responsive to a tap motion so as to cause the orangutan to smile, laugh, spit, or the like.

Additionally, the software application may be responsive to inaction of the viewer. For example, the doll may stick out its tongue if the view fails to interact with the display within a preset or random period of time.

Additionally, the software application may cause the interactive display 120 to emit sounds in response to the actions (or non-actions) of the viewer.

The software application may be provided individually, online for example, or may be provided with the purchase of the doll 110. Each doll type (i.e. elephant or orangutan) may have one or more software applications uniquely associated with it. A given software application may also cause the associated displayed image to do at least one action unique to the application and/or doll.

The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.

The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.

Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.

The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An interactive toy comprising: a doll having at least one region; and a display device having a display for displaying a virtual representation of the region when the display device is superimposed with the region.
 2. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the doll is an anthropomorphic character.
 3. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the region includes at least one of: a facial region and an upper thoracic region.
 4. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the virtual representation is responsive to user interaction with the display.
 5. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the virtual representation consists of a plurality of zones, each zone having at least one of: an active response and a passive response to user interaction therewith.
 6. The interactive toy of claim 5, wherein the active response is selected from a plurality of active responses, each active response associated with user interaction comprising at least one of: a user touch-and-drag motion, a user touch-drag-and-release motion, a user-touch motion and a user touch-and-release motion.
 7. The interactive toy of claim 5, wherein the passive response is selected from a plurality of passive responses associated with a lack of user interaction.
 8. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises: a processor coupled to the display, the processor generating the virtual representation; and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing a plurality of images; wherein the virtual representation is generated by selectively displaying the plurality of images.
 9. The interactive toy of claim 1, wherein the response of the virtual representation to user interaction therewith is a non-vector based response.
 10. A display device for use with an anthropomorphic doll having at least one region, the display device having a display means, a processor, and a memory for storing a set of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the display device to perform the following steps: display a virtual representation of the region when the display device is superimposed with the region; wherein the virtual representation of the region is responsive to user interaction with the display means. 